The invention relates to a vehicle navigation device, comprising a bus whereto there are connected a control unit, a storage memory in which road map data is stored, a reproduction unit and a map element selector which is suitable for selecting map elements from the road map data. The reproduction unit comprises a picture memory, a data input of which is connected to the storage memory and to a character generator. A data output of the picture memory being connected, via a colour look-up table memory, to a display screen on which road maps to be selected can be displayed in colour. The control unit comprises a picture composition unit which is suitable for loading a road map selected from the road map data into the picture memory. The road map represents an area around a map element to be selected. The picture composition unit is also for loading a name, generated for the selected map element by the character generator, into a predetermined segment of said picture memory.
A vehicle navigation device of this kind is known from AFIPS Conference Proceedings, 1984 National Computer Conference, 9-12 July 1984, Las Vegas, Nev.; AFIPS Press (Reston, US), M. Sugie et al.: "CAR Guide on-board computer for automobile route guidance", pages 695-706. The known vehicle navigation device comprises a reproduction unit with a display screen on which a road map can be displayed. The road map displayed is formed by the picture composition unit, under the control of the control unit, on the basis of the map data stored in the storage memory in order to display the position and the progress of the vehicle through the road network. The road map is displayed in colour in a first part of the picture. A second part of the picture includes written information on the map displayed in the first part. To this end, the picture memory comprises separate sections for forming the picture to be displayed. Using a map element selector, map elements can be selected from the road map stored. The selected map element with its name and its environment are displayed on the display screen.
It is a drawback of the known device that the relationship between a map element and its name is only apparent from the predetermined location of said name (i.c. at the lower left of the display).